Interrail: 31,000 km, 27 countries and over 200 trains, Luc's incredible journey

Written by Lisa Abitbol

Published on October 17, 2024

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27 countries and 200 trains

In this episode, we're delighted to welcome Luc, an engineer with a passion for train travel. Last year, during a three-month gap year, he completed an impressive journey of over 31,000 km on the rails, thanks to an Interrail pass.

We take a closer look at the highlights of this adventure, his tips for maximizing the use of the pass and his unforgettable anecdotes. Enjoy!

Episode summary

• His expedition to Antarctica: prior to his Interrail journey, Luc spent 14 months on mission at an Antarctic polar station with scientists from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
• His tips for making the most of an Interrail pass: Luc gives us a whole host of practical advice on how to save money during the trip!
• His unforeseen encounters: how his solo travels led to some unforgettable encounters (notably a Spanish Youtuber with millions of followers, who was also attempting to cross borders solely by train).
• His adventures on the night train, and why it's one of his favorite experiences.
• And other nuggets we'll let you discover by clicking right here 👇

“What I love about the Interrail is that you can disembark at the station without a plan and head off in any direction.”

“The biggest advantage of the train? It's the freedom, and the unexpected detours that turn into discoveries.”

“I discovered so many local festivals in Europe, it was like traveling from surprise to surprise!”

Luc's itinerary

With 27 countries and over 200 trains on the clock, Luc's journey is a veritable epic.

In order, he crossed the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and Switzerland, all the way to Istanbul.

He then returned to Italy to meet up with friends, before heading back up to Northern Europe and the Baltic States.

His largely improvised itinerary then took him to Scandinavia and beyond the Arctic Circle!

Luc's tips for preparing for Interrail

• Buy your pass during special offers. Discounts of 10-20% are common, and on anniversaries like Interrail's 50th, offers can be as low as 50%. You then have 11 months to use it!
• Optimize with trains that don't require reservations. To save money, opt for trains without reservations. It often takes longer, but you'll see more of the countryside and have the freedom to change your plan at any time.
• Opt for flexible, improvised journeys. Interrail offers total flexibility. Don't lock yourself into a strict plan, improvise according to your desires and opportunities, like taking a night train to save on accommodation.
• Take advantage of night trains to save time. Night trains allow you to travel while you sleep, which saves you a lot of money on accommodation and time.

His best travel anecdotes

Unexpected detours become unforgettable discoveries

One of the most fascinating aspects of Luc's trip is the way in which the unexpected turned into memorable souvenirs. For example, while in Vigo, Spain, Luc stumbled upon the Fiesta de la Reconquista, a local festival celebrating the expulsion of Napoleonic troops. Finding himself in a town full of soldiers dressed as Napoleon, in the middle of a historical festival where the custom is to re-enact the expulsion of the French, was a strange moment for Luc. But of course, he was very well received and loved the experience!

Whether it's a missed connection or a stop in an unfamiliar little town, each stop offers a new facet of local culture.

“Local festivals are like little windows into the soul of the countries you're passing through”, sums up Luc.

The Baltic adventure: crossing borders on foot

One of the most memorable anecdotes of his trip concerns his passage between Lithuania and Latvia. With the end of direct trains between these two countries after the pandemic, and Luc's own rule of 100% rail travel, he was forced to cross the border... on foot!

What appeared to be a simple train journey turned into a 22 km walk through rural countryside with an unexpected traveling companion: a Spanish Youtuber with several million subscribers.

“It was a unique moment, walking along the railroad tracks, in a region where everything seemed frozen in time, surrounded by the remnants of the Soviet era”, explains Luc.

A fine tribute to the freedom that train travel can offer!

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